NNYCF Youth Philanthropy Council recommends $10,000 in grants

The Northern New York Community Foundations board of directors approved $10,000 in grants Tuesday, based on recommendations from its Youth Philanthropy Council members.

Students from Watertown High School, which make up the council, recommended grants ranging from $500 to $2,000 to a total of nine organizations.

A call to Youth Philanthropy Council President Meghan LHuillier seeking comment was not returned Tuesday.

The largest grant, $2,000, was awarded to the Childrens Home of Jefferson County to establish a revolving emergency fund for the special needs of foster-care providers in St. Lawrence County.

Childrens Home Administration Services Director Barbara J. Peck said the fund will be self-sustaining since the agency will receive reimbursement from either the St. Lawrence County Department of Social Services or from foster-care providers, depending on the items purchased.

Kids arrive on peoples doorstep at a moments notice, sometimes with just the clothes on their back, Mrs. Peck said.

The fund will help cover reimbursable items such as a day-care deposit, clothes or furniture or other necessities.

The cost of other items, such as car seats, school pictures, field trips or a prom dress, for example, are not reimbursable by DSS, so a foster-care provider could borrow money from the emergency fund and pay the money back at a later time.

Save the River Executive Director D. Lee Willbanks said his agencys $1,000 grant will publish a local authors childrens book, which will be used within area school curricula.

The book will be used with the Clayton agencys In the Schools program, which allows teachers to incorporate lessons about the St. Lawrence River into the classroom.

Other Youth Philanthropy Council-recommended grants approved Tuesday:

n $1,700 to New Day Childrens Center, Watertown, for the purchase of two bench glider rockers for its infant room.

n $1,600 to Family Counseling Service, Watertown, to revitalize its childrens play therapy room.

n $1,000 to Maddies Mark Foundation, Guilderland, to help provide children facing illness with their best day ever.

n $1,000 to the United Service Organizations, Fort Drum, to help refurbish the soldier/family center and purchase needed supplies.